How Did the Candidates Measure Up According to Patti's Tips for the Oct.3rd Presidential Debate?

Below is a re-cap of Patti's tips for President Obama and Governor Romney for the October 3rd Presidential Debate.  How do you think they did?  Which candidate came out ahead during the debate?

According to Patti Wood, Body Language Expert President Obama needs to:

1.     I suggest he come out strong, warm and charismatic before he begins speaking and make a strong positive first statement before he responds to the first questions.

2.     I would coach him and say, “President Obama, smile more as you make strong positive statements. When you speak about how great and hardworking Americans are and what this country is and has become. “

3.       He needs to relax his voice so he can use it to make us feel confident in him.

4.       He had great positive emotional moments and gestures in his DNC speech. He needs to pull some of that emotion and passion into the debates.

5.       He needs to gesture upwards above the waist as he speaks about where we can go to symbolically show he wants and can bring us joy and hope.

6.       He also needs and look up and out to the future.

7.       He has started this new bizarre habit that I call “The Tobacco Chew’ where he seems to cleanse his tongue in his mouth, pursing his lips then pushing his lips outwards and down and out as he says distasteful things  in his DNC.  He did this over 20 times in his DNC speech. He needs to look at that tape and note what motivated him to do that. Stop making statements that call forth that emotion and smile more instead.

8.       He is speaking to everyone so he needs to connect more with the audience, he can’t seem angry with his audience or he’s ashamed of us.

According to Patti Wood, Body Language Expert Governor Mitt Romney needs to:

1.       The single most important piece of advice for Governor Romney is to show genuine warm emotion in his voice and body language.

2.       Governor Romney should move more to illustrate what he is saying so that we feel he is speaking sincerely.

3.       Gesture more over all. He can move and he needs to have more animated and passionate emotional movement, facial and vocal expression.

4.       He needs to be present in the moment and connect more with the audience.

5.       He needs to look out at everyone and then speak using the power of the pause.

6.       Make sure his emotions and his nonverbal messages are in sync.

7.       Be likable – Let his emotions show.

8.     He needs to show nonverbally he is not keeping anything from us.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Patti Analyzes Celebs Body Language for InTouch Magazine

Patti has analyzed the body language of Victoria Beckham, Lauren Conrad and Lea Michele for

In Touch Magazine to reveal what their body language is saying.  Read her insightful comments below!

 

 

1. Victoria Beckham

Signature stance: Left leg extended in front and kind of slouches on her left hip, too.

What does this pose reveal about Victoria Beckham?

The pose is very specific seductive come hither pose. The asymmetry sends the message I want to give myself to you, but you will have to work for it. The asymmetry makes you look a little longer and tilt your head so it seems like she could be giving this pose lying in bed. The low slouch and outward turned elbow makes her chest look more prominent and her profile slimmer.

 

 

 

 

2. Lauren Conrad

Lauren's signature stance: Hand on one hip and slight tilt to her head.

What does this pose reveal about Lauren Conrad? She wants to make her body look more hour glass shaped. The hand on the hip is also a way to look powerful, but just on one side the hand on the hip says, “I am strong, but often the hand and or elbow are behind her. Her feet are often held so close together belies her lack of confidence. ”

Does this pose accentuate a particular body part? It is a way to accentuate the hour glass silhouette.

 

 

 

 

 

Is this pose meant to flatter or look cutesy? It seems the hand on hip is a way to make her FEEL more confident. But her head tilt and low placed chin and feet show it doesn’t fully work. She is not confident in her iconic pose the way Beckman is.

What's she trying to convey with the head tilt and hand on hip? The head tilt here is submissive.

Anything else you'd like to add about Lauren's pose? I would coach her to lift up her body and place her feet slightly farther apart to feel more powerful.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Lea Michele

Lea's signature stance: Over the shoulder, very sultry gaze...

What does this pose reveal about Lea Michele? I love how she created this perfect combination of sultry and innocent. Perfect for her role and as she has matured so has her confidence in her iconic pose. See how she has changed it.

Does this pose accentuate a particular body part? Yes, her vulnerable back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is this pose meant to be super sexy and like a seductress? It's very come hither! It’s seducing by not showing. innocent. It reminds me of the young Brooke Shields sexy but innocent.

Anything else you'd like to add about Lea's pose? Notice that she is showing the back of the shoulder and the back of the ankle.










Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Live Body Language Read of President Obama and Govenor Mitt Romney During the October 3rd Debate

Patti did a live, moment by moment body language read of both President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney during the October 3rd Presidential Debate for Current.com.  Check the link below to see the article and see her notes below!

http://current.com/groups/news-blog/93919134_based-on-body-language-denver-debate-is-a-draw.htm

Romney is out of the gate at the debate with enormous energy.  His gestures are high and what I call in the victory range of the body that's above the heart. He was hopeful and very confident. I did not like how he handled the rules over talking, raising his voice, ignoring the rules and the way he kind of smirked.

 

Obama and his gestures are very decisive, close to his heart which says he truly feels what he is saying.  I would like his gestures to be higher and show more confidence. Also seeing here Romney getting that superior look, lifting his chin high that shows superiority. He gestures after he speaks.  This is the first time I've seen him gesture as he speaks or before.  He's highly energetic never seen him quite like this before.  He is having a good time. This is apparent from the liveliness and the energy in his voice.

 

Obama is very calm.  His voice level has regained that wonderful, deep resonance that I have missed hearing in his voice at the Democratic Convention.  It's interesting that Obama is using a pen to gesture to make his points.  You can tell he's getting really angry at Romney.  He's getting a very tight lip, downward smile.  Obama is giving a sour pursed lip facial expression that shows he finds Romney's rule breaking very distasteful.  Malley is doing a fake grin and he's looking totally away from Romney trying to get back the floor.

Romney is highly energetic. He is giving more gestures and more animation than I have ever seen. High energy at the start of the debates that gives a positive primacy effect (persuasion term for first impression.)

Obama's voice is back to its deep resonate quality at the beginning of the debate. But, as Governor Romney breaks the debate rules and discusses getting rid of Obama Care President Obama's voice becomes tighter, higher and more strained. He loses a bit of his credibility.

Obama’s gestures are small, restrained and close to his heart at the beginning of the debates.  I would like his gestures to be smoother and larger and sweep upwards so he would appear more confident.

As Obama talks about OBAMA Care his voice becomes more powerful again. The fuel for that energy is anger. That could work for him. A debater who shows controlled anger can communicate a powerful alpha presence to the television audience. Our limbic brain will follow the most powerful debater.

Now Romney is interrupting continuing to talk past his time. This is clear response to Obama sounding powerful. Romney has to win each round.  His "over-talking" will appeal to the emotional viewer and seem rude and overbearing to the logical viewer.

President Obama's nonverbal response to this is great.  He stays back and stands tall.  He does not lean in and try to compete. He stays presidential.

Oh now Obama is getting mad as Romney discusses loans.  He gives a sour, lemon mouth to Romney.

I am reading an overall excitement in Romney. He is energized by the fight.

Oh this is good. He is talking about how he spoke this way when he was running for office four years ago. That makes the viewer see Romney’s energy and optimism seem naive.

Now Obama is on a roll now he is ignoring the time limits rules.  I love the large true smile when he was called on it. That smile was great. I want to see him do that when he says something positive, some action he will take if re-elected.

Obama is talking about board for health care. When Obama Care is fully implemented finally his gestures move up. He truly feels like Obama Care will work.

Romney’s replacement for Obama care - I still am struck by his energy. He seems charged. Highly caffeinated, rapid rushed speaking.

Romney rubs his eye when Obama calls him on the fact that his health care statement is just restating the law as it is now. First time in the debates I see Romney is shaken.

Romney is blinking rapidly and also showing his stress level is high.

Interesting Romney can't stand being beaten.  He ignores the rules again and goes into his pat answer. Obama loses his win on that round.  We see the irritation in his look to the moderator and his tight downward smile and his shaking of his head no and he looks down

Romney's blinking rate is increasing.

Obama needs to be very careful he keeps looking down. I know it is to stay contained and not showing his anger. But, that downward head can appear like he his hanging his head in shame, showing a lack of power.

Romney’s energy comes up as he talks about teachers. He is racing again. Did he get a quadruple expresso at Starbucks? This may work against his credibility.  Ahhh it does bring it down when compared with Obama’s response. Obama has the wonderful power of the pause.

He speaks with confidence here.

Romney does a good job with his response.  He does pause when he says his numbers. Romney’s shoulders go forward and his chest poofs up.  He loves to go on the attack.

Romney at his close still has a lot of energy but I would've coached him to be a little bit slower and a little bit more purposeful. I would have advised him of the power of the pause.

Obama didn't look at the camera in the eye in the audience long enough in his close. His head came down. He looked defeated.

Romney overall was aggressive but nonverbally won the debate on charisma as I discuss in my new book "SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma.”

Did you see the big smile on Romney’s face as the debate ended? He felt he won. Interesting Romney was last to leave the podium and the stage. He knows how to look powerful.

 

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.